Archdiocese extends offer to Baptist church damaged in fire

Offers of help came from the entire Baltimore religious community to provide parishioners of the First Mount Olive Freewill Baptist Church in West Baltimore with a place to worship, following the devastating July 10 fire that destroyed the church.The Archdiocese of Baltimore offered the use of St. Martin, Baltimore – one of the three churches of the Transfiguration Catholic Community until that parish can rebuild its place of worship.“We could see the steeple of the (Saratoga Street) church burning from the seventh floor of the Catholic Center,” said Bishop Denis J. Madden, urban vicar of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. “We wanted to reach out to the people until they could get back on their feet.”After conferring with Transfiguration Pastor Father Mark Carter, O.F.M. Cap., Bishop Madden said the parishioners of the West Baltimore cluster parish had already come to the same conclusion and wanted to offer the estimated 3,000 Mount Olive churchgoers St. Martin’s as a place for them to worship.Though Mt. Olive ultimately found a temporary home in a Baltimore Jewish Temple, Bishop Madden said the fact that offers of help came in such an ecumenical way reminds him that the city faithful are compassionate and generous.

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God calls the Catholics of the Archdiocese of Baltimore to be a welcoming, worshipping community of faith, hope, and love. Through his Spirit, the Lord Jesus lives in those who believe, and reaches into our world with his saving message and healing love.

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